Ornament and frame therefor



DeC 14, 1937. K. sTUPELL ORNAMENT AND FRAM THEREFOR Filed OCT.. 5, 1935 Patented Dec. 14, 1937 UNITED STATES maar el. Er OFFICE 6 Claims.

My present invention relates to improvements in ornamental jewelry, and has particular reference to ornaments such as initial letters and the like, and frames therefor.

My present invention is an improvement on the construction disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 1,921,437, granted August 8, 1933, and is designed to facilitate and to improve the mounting of initials or other ornaments in ornamental receiving openings provided in ornamental frames and the like.

It is the principal object of my invention to devise a construction for facilitating the hand. insertion of ornaments into suitable openings of frames, whereby the ornaments may be selectively positioned in said openings and securely locked therein against accidental removal.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a construction whereby an ornament, when locked into a frame, is securely held against lateral displacement, whereby the ornaments are rigidly secured in fixed relation.

It is an additional object of my invention to utilize a selective spacing arrangement to guide a purchaser or a clerk in properly spacing the ornaments within a frame or the like.

With the above and other objects and advantageous features in view, my invention consists of a novel arrangement of parts more fully disclosed in. the detailed description following, in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, and more specifically defined in the claims appended thereto.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 discloses an assembly of an ornamental frame having selected initials mounted therein;

Fig. 2 is a rear view of the frame;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a novel initial ornament;

Fig. 4 is a side view thereof;

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2, showing the locking arrangement between the frame and the initial;

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6 6 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 7 is anv enlarged sectional detail showing the interlocking engagement of the initial and the frame;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional detail similar to Fig. '7, but showing a modied construction of initial and of the cooperating frame;

Fig. 9 is a perspective detail of the initial of Fig. 8; and

Fig. 10 is a perspective detail of the frame of Fig. 8.

Ving I2.

(ill. t0-140) Referring to the drawing, the novel ornament includes a plurality of ornaments, such as initial letters I0, which are adapted to be selectively locked into a frame II, as by contact with the walls of an opening I2 formed therein. The frame is formed so as to provide two resilient sides I3, I4, and the two' sides are each grooved as indicated in Figs. Zand 6 to provide a recessed section i5 having an inwardly extending edge I 5 which is bevelled at the end thereof as indicated at Il', spaced recesses I8 of any suitable size andV distance apart being also provided at suitable intervals along the edge I6, the recesses being preferably square as shown.

The initial letters II), see Figs. 3 and 4, are v grooved at each end as indicated at I9, the grooves being shaped to correspond with the bevelled upper and lower edges I'I of the open- 'Ihe base of each initial letter is eX- tended at each end to provide lugs 2li, which as illustrated at Fig. 3, are spaced apart and are of rectangular form so as to snugly t into the recesses I8 provided therefor on the edges I6.

When placing the initials in the frame, the lower lugs 20 are inserted at the back of the frame so as to contact the lower edge I6, with the lower bevel and groove in contact, and the initial is then moved forwardly until the upper groove I9 snaps over the upper bevelled edge I1, the sides I3 and I4 of the frame yielding sufficiently to permit the snapping engagement and to prevent movement of the top of the initial through the frame; both the upper and lower lugs 20 are received in the contiguous spacing recesses I8, whereby the initials cannot shift laterally. Snapping of the initials in the frame is aided by bevelling the edges of the initials, as indicated at 2 I. Selection of the spaces to use depends on the size of the initial or other ornament, and on the number of initials to be snapped into the frame, as the lugs 26 and the recesses i3 form selective guide and positioning means for setting the initials in proper desired relation in the opening, and therefore in the frame.

Instead of utilizing edges I6 on the frame, a

Y similar result is obtained by forming the frame as indicated at 22, Fig. 8, with upper and lower flanges 23, and a bevelled base 24, the anges having spaced guide and positioning recesses 25, and the initial 2 being formed with correspondthe lower llanger23 and its projections 28 engaging the recesses 25, and the upper edge is then snapped into the frame, the frame giving sufiiciently to permit the snapping action.

The above described construction utilizes the resilience of the frame edges to hold the initialin place after it has been inserted in the frame. It is possible to' utilize a relatively rigid frame and relatively resilient ornaments, whereby the initial letters or other ornaments may be slightly flexed so as to lockingly engage the opposite edges of the frame opening, the initials then lengthening due to their elasticity and thus locking the initials in place on the edges. A preferred arrangement for this purpose is to have the initial letters grooved on their upper andv lower edges andthe upper and lower edges of the frame opening bevelled; any other desired arrangement ;for accomplishing the snap-in relation may be utilized. The essential feature of the modified form resides in the slight bending of the initial to permit movement of the initial edges into locking relation with the edges of the frame opening, the locking relation being completed by straightening movement of the initials.

The frame and initial construction described may be used inv brocches, pins, for ornamenting hand bags, garments, millinery, and for other decorative purposes; instead of a framer opening a depressed recess may be used, as in the covers of Vanities, powder cases, cigarette cases, and the like; the edges of the frame opening are preferably integral, but may be separate and secured to the frame in any desired manner.

While I have described specific constructional embodiments of my invention, it is obvious that desired changes in the materials used for the frame and the initials, in their decoration and ornamentation, in the type, shape, and arrangement of the ornaments, in the relative mounting of the ornaments in the frames, and in the size of the frames and the openings therein, may be made to suit the requirements for different designs,

I claim:

l. In combination, an ornament holder member comprising a frame having an opening, and an ornament member adapted to seat in said opening, said members being made of. metal, the edge parts of said frame opening and of the ornament member having complementary grooves and projections, one of said members being of elastic material whereby said ornament member may be snapped into said frame with said complementary parts engaging to lock said ornament member in said frame, and means on said members for guiding the engaging movement or said parts, said members having means for preventing movement of the ornament member parts past the holder member parts when engaged for snapping together.

2. In combination, an ornament holder member comprising a frame having an opening, and an ornament member adapted to seat in said opening, said members being made of metal, the edge parts of said frame opening and of the ornament member having complementary grooves and projections, one of said members being of elastic material whereby said ornament member may be snapped into said frame with said complementary parts engaging to lock said ornament member in said frame, one of said members having a lug and the other of said members having a recess for receiving said lug.

3. In combination, an ornament holder member comprising a frame having an o-pening, and an ornament member adapted to seat in said opening, said members being made of metal, the edge vparts of said frame opening and of the ornament member having complementary grooves and projections; one of` said members being of elastic material whereby said ornament member may be snapped into said frame with said complementary parts engaging to lock said ornament member in said frame, and means on said members for guiding the engaging movement of said parts, one of said members having a lug and the other of said members having a recess for receiving said lug.

4. In combination, an ornament holder member comprising a frame having an opening, and an ornament member adap-ted to seat in said opening, said members being made of metal, the edge parts of said frame opening and of the ornament member having complementary grooves and projections, one of said members being of elastic material whereby said ornament member may be snapped into said frame with said complementary parts engaging to lock said ornament memlber in said frame, one of said members having spaced lugs and the other of said members having spaced recesses for receiving said lugs.

5. In combination, an ornament holder member comprising a frame having an opening, and an ornament member adapted to seat in said opening, said members being made of metal, the edge parts of said frame opening and of the ornament member having complementary grooves and projections, one of said members being of elastic material whereby said ornament member may be snapped into said frame with said complementary parts engaging to lock said ornament member in said frame, and means on said members for guiding the engagingmovement of said parts, one of said membersY having spaced lugs and the other of. said members having spaced recesses for receiving said lugs.

6. In combination, an ornament holder member comprising a frame having an opening, and an ornament member adapted to seat in said opening, said members being made of metal, the l edge parts of said frame openingY and of the ornament member having complementary grooves and projections, one of said members being of elastic material whereby said ornament member may be snapped into said fram-e with said complementary parts engaging to lock said ornament member in said frame, said ornament member having spaced lugs and said holder mernlber having spaced recesses for receiving said lugs.

LEO K. STUPELL. 

